Air Quality and How You Can Help

How Good is Your Air?

Health effects of ozone pollution. Did you know that 10 to 20
percent of all summertime respiratory-related hospital visits in some
areas of the U.S. are associated with ozone pollution? Motor vehicle exhaust,
gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are major sources of ozone, which
usually forms in hot weather. Ozone pollution can affect anyone who spends
time outdoors in the summer, particularly children, the elderly, outdoor
workers and people exercising. Repeated exposure to ozone pollution may
cause permanent damage to the lungs. Even low ozone levels can trigger
health problems in some people when it is inhaled; these can include chest
pains, coughing, nausea, throat irritation, and congestion.

How Your Actions Can Help: By making some fairly simple changes
in your daily or weekly routine, you can help to clean the air. For instance:

Try taking an alternative form of transportation to work,
such as a bus, train, bike, or even walking. This simple action can
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 1,500 pounds each
year.

Look for the "Energy Star" label when you buy new appliances.
Depending on the appliance, products with this label will consume
between 13% and 40% less energy than conventional appliances. Learn
more about Energy Star products at energystar.gov.

Enroll in a green energy program. More and more utilities
across the country are offering consumers the option of having some
or all of their household or business energy purchased from renewable
energy resources such as solar, wind and biomass.

For
Travel and Commuting

Commuting It's summertime, which means that weather conditions
are favorable for ground-level ozone formation. Emissions from motor vehicles
are the primary source of ozone-causing pollutants, accounting for almost
half of our air pollution. Because heat and sunlight are important factors
in ozone formation, ozone pollution generally peaks during the months
of April through October, on hot, sunny days with little or no wind and
no precipitation.

Green Vehicle Guide Smog is at its highest levels during the summer.
Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for almost half of the
air pollution in the United States. You may be surprised to know that
you have cleaner more fuel-efficient choices in any vehicle size you need,
even an SUV. Find out for yourself. Go to the Green Vehicle Guide to find
the cleanest, most fuel efficient vehicle that meets your needs.

Fuel Economy To save gasoline and money during those long vacation
trips, keep your car tuned, your tires properly inflated, and drive carefully.
See the fuel economy estimates for all cars and light trucks going back
to 1985 at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/.

Refueling your vehicle Gasoline vapors are harmful to you and
the environment. Not only are they toxic to breathe, they contribute to
ozone formation in the atmosphere. Since gasoline vapor production increases
during the hot summer months, it is important to be careful when refueling
your vehicle. Here are some simple measures you can take at the gas station:

Maintaining Your Vehicle - Watch your dashboard light to prevent pollution This summer, help prevent pollution by keeping your car in tip-top shape.
If your car or light truck is a 1996 or later model, it is equipped with
a sophisticated computer called the "Onboard Diagnostic" (or
OBD) system that helps your engine to operate at peak efficiency and will
alert you to any potential problems that could cause it to work harder,
wear out faster and pollute more. If the OBD system detects problems,
it will trigger a "Check Engine" light. Repair shops are able
to check the computer to see precisely what is causing the problem, and
can then make effective repairs.

During your summer vacation trips, if your "Check Engine" light
comes on and stays on, don't panic. You and your car are not in immediate
danger. The first thing you should do is check that your fuel cap is secured
tightly: loose gas caps cause gasoline vapor emissions which trigger the
light. If the cap is tight and the light still stays on, try to arrange
for service when convenient. If the light is flashing on and off, this
indicates engine misfire, a condition that can harm the engine. In this
case, you can still drive safely but you should minimize your time on
the road and avoid driving at high speed or carrying excess weight such
as towing or carrying heavy equipment.

Making sure you service your vehicle whenever the Check Engine light
is illuminated can help you:

Recharging Your Car's Air Conditioner with Refrigerant When servicing
automotive air-conditioning systems, vehicle owners generally have several
options to recharge a/c systems with refrigerant. One option is to top-off
your car's system with refrigerant, and another is to evacuate and recharge
the system. Both of these options will provide cool air in the passenger
compartment for some period of time.

Federal Recreation Areas Visit a National Park this summer. Check
out this site that has one-stop access to federal recreation information.

National Park Service A guide to visiting national parks is found
at the National Park Service Web site. Look at state Web sites to find
State and local park information.

Check Local Beach Water Quality Conditions There are several
things that you can do to improve the quality of water at the beach. For
example, you can learn more about the quality of the water at your local
beach, become involved as a responsible citizen to reduce pollutants that
can wash into the water, and find out what state or local agencies or
departments are responsible for protecting the quality of the water at
your beach.

Fish Advisories Fish can be an important part of a heathy diet. But some
fish have harmful amounts of mercury. A guide to healthy eating of the
fish you catch in several languages, including information for pregnant
women.

Water Saver Home Learn what you can do to reduce water use in
your home -- take a virtual tour of this Water Saver Home.http://www.h2ouse.net

Volunteer Monitoring Spend extra summer vacation time doing environmental
volunteering. The summer growing season is when a lot of vegetative restoration
activities (seeding, planting trees, aquatic grasses, removal of invasive
species, etc) take place; most of these restoration activities rely primarily
on citizen volunteers to succeed. Find out how you can get involved.

In Your Garden

Lawn and Garden

A beautiful and healthy lawn is good for our environment. It can resist
damage from weeds, disease, and insect pests. Pesticides can be effective,
but need to be used according to the directions on the label and should
not be relied on as a quick-fix to lawn problems.

Here are some tips to follow

Develop healthy soil. Make sure your soil has the right pH
balance, key nutrients, and good texture. You can buy easy-to-use
soil analysis kits at hardware stores or contact your local County
Cooperative Extension Service for a soil analysis.

Choose the right grass for your climate. If your area gets
very little rain, don't plant a type of grass that needs a lot of
water. Select grass seed that is well suited to your climate and other
growing conditions such as the amount of sunlight and rain your lawn
receives. Over-seed your lawn each Fall by spreading seeds on top
of the lawn. A thicker lawn helps to crowd out weeds. Your local County
Extension Service can advise you on which grasses grow best in your
area.

Longer is Better. Make sure the lawn mower blades are sharp.
Grass that is slightly long makes a strong, healthy lawn with few
pest problems. Weeds have a hard time taking root and growing when
grass is around 2½ to 3½ inches for most types of grass.

Water Early. It is time to water if footprint impressions
stay in the lawn and do not spring back. Water early in the morning
and only for short periods for time so the soil may absorb the water.
Longer grass has stronger roots and retains water better.

Correct thatch buildup. Thatch is a layer of dead plant materials
between the grass blades and the soil. When thatch gets too thick,
deeper than 3/4 of an inch, water and nutrients are prevented from
getting into the soil and reaching the roots of the grass. Overusing
synthetic fertilizer can create heavy layer of thatch, and some kinds
of grass are prone to thatch buildup.

Recycle grass. Don't pick up the grass clippings after you
mow. Clippings will return nutrients and moisture to the soil. Consider
buying a mulching lawn mower. This will cut the grass clippings finer
and blow them into the lawn.

Let your lawn breathe. Once a year, remove small plugs of
earth to allow air and water to aerate the grass roots.

Invite a few weeds and insects into you garden. Think of you
lawn as a small piece of nature where pests have their place. Often,
nature provides its own pest control in the form of birds or other
insects that feed on the insects we consider nuisances.

Use manual tools. Tools that don't require electric or gasoline
engines are especially handy for small yards or small jobs. There are
hand tools available that will meet a wide variety of lawn and garden
needs, like lightweight, quiet, easy-to-use reel push mowers that generate
no emissions.

Using and Storing Gasoline In the summer, lots of portable containers
are used to store and transport fuels for lawnmowers, chainsaws and recreational
vehicles. These portable containers can emit hydrocarbons; in addition,
spills can leak into ground water. Here are some tips to follow to reduce
these concerns:

Use Proper Containers Use only containers approved by a nationally
recognized testing lab, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Containers
should be fitted with a spout to allow pouring without spilling and
to minimize the generation of vapors. Always open and use gasoline
containers in a well-ventilated area away from children and animals.

Fill Cautiously Fuel equipment on a hard surface such as concrete
or asphalt and use a funnel and/or spout to prevent spilling or splashing
when fueling lawn and recreational equipment and always fuel outside
where there is adequate ventilation to disperse the vapors

Store Carefully Store as little gasoline as possible and be
certain to keep your gasoline container properly sealed. Store the
gasoline in a cool, dry place and never in direct sunlight. Store
at ground level to minimize the danger of falling and spilling. Do
not store gasoline in a car trunk. There is a threat of explosion
from heat and impact. Do not store gasoline in your basement.

Avoid Spills Avoid spilling gasoline on the ground, especially
near wells. If a small spill occurs use kitty litter, saw dust or
an absorbent towel to soak up the spill, then dispose of it properly

Dispose Properly Do not dispose of gasoline down the drain,
into surface water, onto the ground, or in the trash. You should check
with your town concerning using your local household hazardous waste
collection for safe disposal of excess or old gasoline.